


The Secrets Between Us

by Elphaba_descending



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Apathy, Child Neglect, Dubious Science, F/M, Jack and Maddie are actual ghost experts, Obsession AU, Rape Aftermath, Recreational Drug Use, Sibling Love, ghost egg, ghost hunger au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-15 17:00:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29936550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elphaba_descending/pseuds/Elphaba_descending
Summary: Sometimes the cost of secrets is higher than we're willing to pay.Danny has seen his father laugh off many things. He's seen him shrug off -over and over again, failing to build something he'd been working on for most of his life. He's seen him laugh off losing chunks of time while being possessed. He's seen him laugh off the closest person he has to a sibling trying to kill him. Danny doesn't know what to do with this quieter version of his father who sometimes looks at him like Danny is breaking his heart.
Relationships: Danny Fenton & Jack Fenton, Danny Fenton & Jazz Fenton, Jack Fenton & Vlad Masters
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	The Secrets Between Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"When our brother died, none of our family interactions made sense anymore."_ -anonymous

Jack doesn't know what to do.

When Vlad's parents had died while they were both sixteen, Jack's Mom and Dad had tried to adopt him. Vlad had said that it was a waste of money. He had put together this elaborate presentation about how he was old enough to get a job and support himself and how he'd be turning eighteen in two years, and the three Fentons had collectively decided to drop it. None of them needed a piece of paper to tell them Vlad was family. Vlad had been his brother for years. The only person making it official might have made a difference to was Vlad, and clearly Vlad didn't need it either.

Looking back, that had been a mistake. That year was the first time Vlad had tried to kill him.

He stopped half way thru though. Vlad had been horrified at what he had nearly done. Is it weird to have to comfort someone for trying to take your life? Not that Jack would ever hold it against him, Vlad had been a mess back then: recently orphaned and all his childhood possessions gone up in smoke. He'd have sudden mood swings; he'd be fine one moment, and the next he'd be holding back tears. Even as a teenager Jack could tell it had been more of the same, just an abrupt rage instead of the usual sadness. Jack probably would have forgotten about the whole thing if Vlad hadn't _kept_ trying to kill him. Instead Jack winds back that memory round and around in his head. Jack's positive that first time was key, if he could just figure out what had led to it, then he could fix things. 

Jack couldn't figure out what it was though, what had broken between them, what was hurting Vlad. Of the two of them, Vlad had always been the one who could suss out what people actually meant. Growing up with Vlad by his side, Jack had never really needed to learn how to read people. He had never thought ahead to the day Vlad wouldn't be there anymore because if Jack had had his way, such a day would have never come.

Yet all through college Jack could feel that day looming closer, and the best Jack could do to fight back was to show Vlad how much he cared. Jack's hugs get more desperate, he laughs louder at Vlad's more morbid jokes, he gives his way-too-serious friend cutesy nicknames to get a rise out of him. 'Tell me' he practically begs, 'Tell me what's wrong.'

Then 'The Incident' happened, and Vlad leaves for good.

At first, Jack is a little offended at how upset Vlad is at him. All those murder attempts and the first time Jack almost kills him _on accident_ , and now Jack is the bad guy?

Jack gets it though (eventually). For all that Vlad kept bringing Jack uncomfortably close to death, for all that Vlad's attempts get less impulsive, more elaborate and over the top, Vlad had never actually hurt him... physically at least. Jack was the one who had crossed that line.

Maybe they really were brothers.

**Author's Note:**

> I've read a lot of stories where Vlad is perfectly well adjusted before the Proto-Portal Accident. The problem with that is that Jack and Maddie never seem surprised at Vlad's antics. They never go "gosh, Vlad sure has changed in 20 years." The way I see it: Jack isn't oblivious to Vlad's dramatics, he's just desensitized. After all, they did grow up together.


End file.
